THUNDER BAY — A long-established Thunder Bay business has added locally-made saunas to its repertoire, saying its design offers multiple advantages over others.
Bob's Woodburners & Fireplaces Ltd. just recently started marketing the Pollo sauna, named after the Finnish word for owl because it's shaped like a birdhouse, with walls that flare out on the sides.
Company president Justin Santarossa, whose heritage is partly Finnish, said "the owl being wise and solemn, it felt like a good fit."
With the walls being at about a 15-degree angle, he said "Sitting in it, especially leaning back, is amazing."
The sauna, which comes fully assembled, has a compact 12' x 6' footprint including a 4' x 6' change room with bench.
Santarossa said it comfortably accommodates six people.
But its key elements are locally-sourced construction materials including cedar from area mills, and its compliance with WETT, which stands for Wood Energy Transfer Technology Inc.
"I believe there are other saunas made in Thunder Bay that are not just pre-cut kits made elsewhere and assembled on site, but none will pass the WETT woodburning building code," Santarossa said.
"The insurance companies typically look for a WETT inspection report, which is done by a certified installer or inspector...Some of the ones that are being built in town would be compliant for electric sauna stoves, but for a woodburning appliance specifically, they're not."
He said it was a challenge to come up with a design that would be safe, and meet code requirements, at a reasonable price.
"The big thing is safety. I have heard so many stories of saunas burning down, and we would like to stop that. Insurance companies are denying coverage to people with uncertified buildings. We have put lots of effort into making a quality-built safe sauna."
The company has four employees working on the saunas, and predicts that number will double in the coming year as new Polla models are introduced, and as the firm expands its offerings to other outdoor products.
"We are building them as fast as we can, but are currently behind with about a three-week wait," Santarossa said. "Because you can add a trailer, we can sell to anywhere that you would like to drive it. The farthest so far has gone to Marathon."
For now, the units are being built at a rented location but there's a plan to expand to a new site that may allow for a more streamlined construction process and open the door to wholesaling the Pollo to other retailers across the country.
"I really see this being something we can grow into, and employ more people from Thunder Bay," he said. "It's not just me that's developed this. It's a team that has put in their inputs, and really helped get this thing rolling...This is going to be a really close-knit family of people putting this product together for Thunder Bay and then hopefully for the rest of Canada, and maybe North America eventually."
